May 29, 2024 • 30 mins
Ever wondered how an everyday mom transforms into an elite endurance runner? This episode of our podcast brings you Melissa Londry's story. She is a licensed professional counselor whose journey from non-runner to ultra-runner will leave you motivated. She talks about the trials of balancing motherhood with her aspirations, highlighting how a supportive running community played a crucial role in her success. Running, she reveals, became her therapeutic anchor during the demanding first year of motherhood.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Welcome to Ella Go.
My name is Lisa.
Join me on the journey inhaving real, raw and
uncomfortable discussions aboutfitness, health and everything
in between, because, let's behonest, this journey would suck
if we don't get our shittogether.
Welcome back to the Elegoopodcast.
(00:38):
My name is Lisa, your host andtoday's guest is Melissa
Laundrie.
Melissa is a licensedprofessional counselor,
certified EMDR therapist andbusiness owner of Body and
Mindfully Healthy, with apassion for aiding individuals
in overcoming trauma, depression, anxiety and addiction.
(00:59):
Her therapeutic approach isperson-centered, focusing on
empowering individuals to directtheir own paths to recovery.
Outside of her professionalrole, melissa has been an avid
runner since 2013, findingsolace and strength in the
outdoors.
She has achieved success inmany races.
(01:22):
Success in many races thatincludes overall female McLennan
Madness 8-hour race.
Second overall female EliseEnduro Last Runner, standing
second overall female PilotMountain Marathon and numerous
other top placements in pastraces ranging from 5Ks to 240
(01:43):
miles.
Melissa's dedication to bothmental health, counseling and
endurance.
Sports reflects her commitmentto personal growth, resilience
and community support.
Through her professionalexpertise and athletic
achievements, she continues toinspire others to pursue their
own paths to wellness andachievement.
(02:07):
Welcome, melissa.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Thank you so much for having me.
Lisa, Melissa, introduceyourself to the audience.
So my name is Melissa.
I wear a lot of hats.
So I'm a mom, I'm a therapist,I'm a runner, I'm a race
director, I'm a coach, I'm atrail sisters leader.
I do a lot of stuff.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Melissa, I didn't know you were a race director.
Wow, your story with running.
Tell us a little bit more aboutthat.
So were you always a runner?
How did that happen?
Speaker 1 (02:39):
I was not always a runner.
In fact, if you had asked me inhigh school or even undergrad
if I was going to be big intorunning, I would have told you
absolutely not.
I would have never thought Iwould run like this.
So I played team sports in highschool.
So volleyball, basketball,soccer, loved that, the
camaraderie, the competition, Ijust absolutely loved it.
(03:02):
And then when I got to gradschool, I played on some co-ed
teams.
I never really tried to go intolike collegiate sports.
I was more focused on myacademics and just didn't think
I was good enough, honestly.
So I played some co-ed sportsand undergrad volleyball and
indoor soccer at Saginaw ValleyState University.
(03:22):
And then, um, then I was like,well, what else am I going to be
able to do?
Like, what else is there?
I don't like going to the gym.
I tried that.
And so I was like, well, maybeI'll just like run a little bit.
And it really was just likefrom my apartment to a stoplight
and back at first.
And then when I moved toVirginia, it was like from my
house to a park and back.
(03:44):
And then I really didn't takeit seriously.
It was consistent until I hadmy first, my first child, my son
and that was in um had him in2012.
And in 2013 is when I startedbeing consistent, like running
races and really amping up mymiles and getting better at it.
But it was like from 2003 or2004 till 2013 before I took it
(04:12):
seriously or even started likingit.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
So let me ask you a question.
So you were a mom at the timethat you're running, mom at the
time that you're running, and Ithink that one of the you know,
one of the challenges as arunning coach is getting the
clients that are moms, makingthe time to do the runs, and
we're going to get into a littlebit more of what types of runs
(04:38):
do you do?
Because this is not just like alittle 5k, but how?
What would you share?
What could you share?
How did you go about doing that?
Because that's the biggestcomplaint I get is I don't have
time, I have kids, I got a job,I'm doing all of this.
How did you go ahead and dothat?
Speaker 1 (05:00):
So when I started running consistently after
having my son, it was reallywith a running group.
So in Galax there's the GalaxRunning Club and so they meet at
530 to 545 to run during theweek and then 7 am on Sundays,
and so I just hopped into thoseruns and they are super
(05:23):
supportive and it was just niceto have that camaraderie again,
like I did with team sports, andthey were really consistent and
they helped me to become reallyconsistent and that's where I
started developing a love for itand developing, getting like
better and aerobically and thenin my muscles too.
So it wasn't terrible everytime.
It was so much, so much betterrunning with a group and so I
(05:45):
think it was a combination of itbeing effective was I could go
in the early morning when thebaby wasn't awake and I was
still asleep.
I could sneak out the house andthen I had other people to meet
me out there, so I wasn't alone.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Waking up in the morning is never who wants to do
that.
But you made that commitmentbecause, I mean, was it were you
at the point where you're like?
It started making you feel goodabout yourself, like what was
your, what were the benefitsthat you were getting, that made
you wake up earlier.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
I think it really was .
That it was just a really goodcoping skill, especially with, I
mean, you're a mom, like youknow, that first year of having
a baby, your first baby, is likea little bit traumatic because
you're like, what just happenedto my body and what just
happened to my emotions and, ohmy gosh, I'm responsible for
(06:40):
another human being and I'm notgetting any sleep and I'm not my
best self physically oremotionally.
And I found like running helpedwith all of those things, thank
goodness Cause I mean it's hardbeing a first time mom.
I don't know if that was yourexperience too, but I struggled.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Oh, yeah, yeah, I did .
I was like what just happened?
My life is over and still is.
So definitely you were gettingthe benefits from the run.
Did you feel like, after youdid the run and it's almost like
a code switch, like you're likeI don't, I'm a runner, and then
(07:19):
you're like home mom time andlike, did you feel that when you
did that, were you feeling moreconfident?
Did you feel like you were,even because we always doubt
ourselves being a better mom?
Did you feel like, okay, I gotthis.
Did you feel that?
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Oh, yeah, definitely, cause I felt like my headspace
was in such a better place thatI could be a better mom because
of running.
Um, especially when they werereally little babies Like that
was.
It was a huge confidence boostas far as my mothering too.
Cause I just needed that hourto myself because you know, when
you have a baby and I breastfed, like they're attached to you
(07:57):
all the time because they needto be, like it's good for them
to be always on us for theirdevelopment, and when you're not
used to that, you go from likeno one touching you all the time
to someone touching you 24seven.
Like I needed that hour of noone touching me.
I was touched out.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
And now she doesn't even want to be with me.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Might still like to cuddle.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
They love hugs, so so let's talk about ultra running,
because that's what I'm gettingto.
You know, um, melissa is notjust doing your typical five Ks.
What's the well explain what anultra run is versus someone
doing a marathon or a halfmarathon?
Speaker 1 (08:40):
So a half marathon is 13.1 miles, a marathon is 26.2
miles, and then an ultramarathon is, by definition,
anything beyond 26.2.
So I ran my first half marathonwhich I didn't think was
possible in 2013, after my son.
I ran my first marathon in 2013, after my son, which I didn't
(09:02):
think was possible, and then Iimmediately got pregnant with my
daughter, and so I had to startover again and in 2014, had my
daughter, and so it was like,well, I was 30 at the time when
I had my daughter and I was like, well, next year it'll be 2015
and I'll be 31.
I need to run a 50 K, so 50 Kis 31.1 miles.
(09:22):
And so that was where itstarted and I ran.
The race that I direct now wasmy first 50K, so it's pretty
special, it's pretty awesome.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
What's the longest distance you ran?
Speaker 1 (09:37):
So last year I ran 240 miles.
Okay, girl, how long does thattake?
It took me four and a half days.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Okay, do you sleep or are you just running through
the whole thing?
Speaker 1 (09:51):
So this one's a little bit unique.
So it's unsupported, uncrewed.
There's no aid stations.
You have to coordinate whenyou're sleeping, your food,
everything.
You're on your own Going fromone point.
I started in Midland Michiganand then I ended in Mackinac
City underneath the MackinacBridge, and so I slept maybe
(10:11):
three hours the first night,three hours the second, three
hours the third, and then thelast night it was maybe an hour
and I was so sleep deprived.
I've never been that sleepdeprived in my entire life.
So in comparison to having kids, it was so much different.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
So where are you like carrying your sleeping bag and
you're just finding a spot tosleep?
Speaker 1 (10:34):
No, there is no sleep .
No, there's no sleeping bag.
I have my regular running packon.
I have, I had a.
So in my pack I had two waterbottles, my bladder full of
water or Gatorade, I had somecaffeine gum, a med kit in case
I ran into like blisters oranything like that.
I could take care of everything.
(10:55):
Extra contacts so I could seeextra underwear, extra socks,
and then, oh gosh, what else wasin there.
And then my food and emergencyponcho and emergency blanket,
and that was all I carried.
And so I did find motels tosleep in for those three-hour
(11:16):
stints, but the last night Islept in a parking lot with my
emergency blanket and myemergency poncho.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Okay, melissa, all right, I always wanted to know
more about this From a safetystandpoint.
You're by yourself, how doesthat?
Speaker 1 (11:32):
work safety standpoint, like you're by
yourself.
How does that work?
I mean, I would just find likeplaces off of the road and that
like.
So I slept in a marina andthere wasn't really anybody at
the marina because off the lake,here on, and so it was like
really early in the morning,there really wasn't anybody out
there.
So it's like, you know, there'snobody here.
And that little, that burritodid have cameras on the, like
(11:53):
the, the.
It was like owned by the state,so there was cameras on the
building.
So I slept where this cameracould see me because it was like
, well, if something happens, atleast it's going to get caught
on film and I don't thinkanything's going to happen.
Because this, this arena waslike off the main road, behind
some trees, like it.
You really didn't have to know,and it was a really secluded
(12:13):
area because there was no hotels, there's no places else to
sleep, so so I scouted a place,but yeah, I had to be very um
particular about like where Iwas going to be, and I really
didn't.
No one really could tell that Iwas female either, because I
mean, I had a hat on, like I wascovered by the emergency
blanket, I had a poncho, likeall my stuff is black, like I'm
not wearing pink or anything.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Um, what about like the tracking, Like how this is
like a race, Is this a?
So how do they track you?
Speaker 1 (12:42):
You have to do check-ins at every 12 hour point
, and so I would check in withthe race director's wife um
every 12 hours.
We're her little, her littlegooselings, and she's mama goose
to check on everybody, wow,okay.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
So let's talk about how you even got into this,
because, okay, so you, you, yousaid you did the half a marathon
.
You did.
I mean, in your mind were youjust like I'm going to give it a
try where you're?
I mean, it sounded like itdidn't even deter you, it was
more like I didn't think I coulddo it.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
And so I'm just like, well, let me just try.
And then I put in the training.
And then I did it.
And then, for example, with thehalf marathon, I was like, well
, I'm halfway to a marathon, Imight as well go and sign up for
the marathon.
And so then I did that.
And then I knew I could do amarathon.
So it's like well, coming backfrom the second pregnancy, I was
(13:36):
like, well, I know I alreadycan do a marathon.
If I put in the training, I'mphysically capable of doing it.
So the five extra miles for a50, 50 K, like it's just five
miles, I can walk it, so let mejust do that.
And so I did and I had a greattime, like I was.
I thought that was like themost pain I'd ever be in.
I was wrong.
A 240 is much more painful, butit's, it's such a, it's a
(14:00):
growth process.
But then, after I did that, youknow I was like well, I'll take
some breaks from ultra, I don'tknow if I'm going to keep doing
this.
So I did like 5Ks, 10 Ks, halfmarathons, marathons in between,
and then COVID hit in 2020.
And so that's when I was likethere's nothing else to do,
especially where I live, butthere's tons of outdoor
(14:21):
activities.
And so I signed up for a lot ofvirtual races.
So I did my first 50 milervirtual, I did my first 100 mile
virtual here on the New RiverTrail, and that was all in 2020.
And so that's when I figured,well, I can do it and I can do
it virtually, I need to do thesein person.
(14:43):
So I signed up for more becauseI was like, well, let me keep
doing this.
This is fun, and I've beendoing more ultra since 2020.
Me keep doing this.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
This is fun, and I've been doing more ultra since
2020.
Talk about someone who's neverdone an ultra, and maybe they're
even thinking about it.
How does one prepare physically, mentally and emotionally?
Speaker 1 (15:07):
I think it's really a great idea to just be
consistent.
First you want to build areally good base, follow a
marathon plan to begin with andthen, if you're just if you're
striving for a 50 K, a marathonplan is all you really need to
do.
A 50 K If you want to, if youwant to finish stronger, you can
(15:27):
do.
Instead of like the longestdistance being like 20 or 22
miles, you can make your longestdistance to be the marathon
point Cause.
Then you know, like the extrafive miles you can pull that out
on race day.
If you're looking, I think it'ssmart to go and like step up,
like start with a 50 K, thenmove to a 50 miler, then maybe a
hundred K, which is 66 miles,and then a hundred miler, which
(15:47):
is 66 miles, and then a hundredmiler and then moving to the 200
distance.
But because that's I think thatis the smartest way to do it to
reduce the shock and injury.
Some people skip points andthat's okay.
It works for some people.
But I think it is best to liketake it step-by-step because as
(16:08):
you're growing, like once you dothat 50 K, it's easy then to
build, keep continuing to buildyour miles from that 50 K after
you finish that race.
So then your next race distancewould be a 50 miler, so you can
keep adding, like more, longerruns in between your 50 K and
your 50 miler.
And so then when you get toyour 50 miler, you're only
(16:29):
halfway to 100 miler and theycan build your confidence.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
She says it like it's so simple to do so.
Oh my God.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
I mean, it's just, it really is.
There's so much magic inconsistency.
So if you are consistent andyou're consistent with your long
runs and you're consistent withbeing like, you're going to
have runs where and I still haveruns where I'm like I
completely bonked, Like I feltterrible, Everything went wrong.
And I need those runs becausethat's where you build that
(17:02):
mental endurance to be like,well, it's either walk or crawl,
but I got to get back to my carbecause I'm not calling anybody
to come get me.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
Exactly so you mentioned like the pain, and I'm
curious, when you're thinkingabout, you know, running those
types of miles, what is some ofthat pain?
I mean, is it mental pain,emotional, what is it?
Speaker 1 (17:28):
It's both, yeah, it's a lot of both.
I think that in the beginning,like your, your just body isn't
used to going that far and so Iknow for me the hardest
distances when I was startingout was actually like going from
like eight to 10 miles, likejust that in my long runs,
because I just had like a mentalblock and a physical block, I
(17:51):
think, until I've pushed myselfto go past that, to kind of hit
like a wall at certain pointswith a hundred miler, like
hitting the wall at mile 80 isreally common for any anybody in
the race, no matter how muchtraining you've done, because at
that point you're like you'vedone so much but you still have
(18:11):
20 miles to go and it can feeldaunting physically and
emotionally.
And I think for any likeemotionally, like that wise, for
any distance, it's really easyfor those thoughts to creep in
from, maybe like people who'vebeen mean to us in the past
Cause I think everybody's beenbullied and had rude comments
made to them or told that theycan't do something I think it's
(18:33):
really common for those commentsfrom the past to pop up again
and say that you can't do this,that you just should quit,
you're not strong enough.
Why are you doing this?
You shouldn't be running thismuch.
Oh, especially this one.
Like what?
Like the mom guilt.
Like some people will say, well, shouldn't you be spending this
(18:53):
time with your children insteadof running?
And it's like, oh, that thoughtcreeps in.
And then you feel terrible andit's like, but then you can say,
like, but I spent all thisother time with them.
Like, look at the time thatI've already invested.
I'm taking, you know, threehours of one day a week to do
this.
When I have the, I can still goafter this.
And we're going to go to thezoo, we're going to go do this,
(19:15):
we're going to go do that.
Like the mom guilt can be realwhen running and taking time
away from family.
The mom guilt can be real whenrunning and taking time away
from family.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Yeah.
Yeah that's hard, it really is,and it's a balance.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
I think it's just a balance.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
So I was going to ask you about that, because you're
a race director, you're arunning coach, you work a
full-time job and then you haveyour kids.
How do you balance that?
How does that happen?
Speaker 1 (19:43):
I make my schedule like two weeks in advance and I
live by my schedule.
Really, I have to.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
I like that.
I like that Because I alwaysthink about the listeners
listening to us talk about thisand we always say, well, you got
to balance.
But what does that look like?
So you're saying you actuallymake a schedule two weeks ahead,
and I'm guessing it's probablyvery structured and very
(20:11):
detailed.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
Yes, yes, like I know when I'm running, I know what
I'm doing with the kids, I knowwhen I'm cleaning the house, I
know when I'm like making mymeals, like it takes a lot of
discipline to know when I'm atwork.
Like it takes discipline and Ihave, like my cat, I have a
calendar put up right now.
But, like in my calendar, likeI have a running to-do list, I
(20:33):
make sure I have it for themonth, for the week, for the day
.
And then I have, like, myschedule, um, I have
motivational quotes in there, Ihave scripture in there, like I
put everything in there.
So that way it's all rightthere for me to stay focused and
disciplined.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
Okay, I want to.
I really want everyone tolisten to that, because that's
really what helps you and it'sfunny when you do.
I mean, it's not really funny,but when you do that and you're
you're on the schedule, I oftenfeel like, wow, I got a lot of
time.
I mean, I have time for myself,I have time for self-care.
(21:08):
I think that when you do that,you are able to balance and make
some time for yourself, whichis obviously the running and
other things and spending timewith your kids.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Yes, well, and it also is very beneficial, like I
work for myself completely andso I make my own schedule and I
don't I I don't have to make itaround anybody else, or a boss,
or anything like that.
So, you know, the weeks that Ihave my kids I can do my running
when they're at school, so I'mnot taking anything away from
them, and then I can do myappointments for work around
(21:47):
that.
I will admit like I often donot take lunch, so I do skim on
that, but I substitute it with arun so I kind of justify it
with well I might not have alunch, but I'm running, well I
might not have a lunch but I'mrunning.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
Let me ask you this so you are a mental health
therapist, right?
Speaker 1 (22:10):
Okay, yes, how does that, being a runner, how do
those two coincide?
I think there's so much overlapbecause the type of therapist
that I am, I'm a certified EMDRtherapist.
So EMDR stands for eye movement, desensitization and
reprocessing, and it's all aboutusing bilateral body movements
(22:30):
or body stimulation in order tostart the adaptive processing
network that we have in thebrain that helps with healing
and, like our best selves, andso it's, I feel, like the two
just naturally go together,because the therapy that I'm
using in the running I reallythink, like my hypothesis is
(22:52):
that part of the benefits ofrunning, aside from the
neurochemicals that are releasedfor any exercise with running,
there is a self-administeredEMDR happening because when
you're running, you'restimulating one side of your
body when your foot hits theground and then when the other
foot hits the ground you'restimulating the other one, and
(23:12):
so while you're doing it you dofeel better.
Usually, if you're upset aboutsomething and you go for a run,
you're in a much more calm andregulated state in your nervous
system after your run and a lotof times you're going to come up
with a really good problemsolving strategies and how you
want to respond to the situationthat might be upsetting.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Yeah, absolutely, that is so cool.
I didn't know you did that andI think that's just such a cool
thing.
And yeah, you're healingthrough movement, you know, and
running is definitely somethingthat can be healing through
movement.
I love that you're doing that.
So what's on the horizon foryou, like, do you have any races
(23:52):
coming up?
Do you have any programs comingup?
What's going to happen for youthis summer 2024?
Speaker 1 (24:00):
I have races so I'm really focusing on.
So my the race that I direct,the New River Trail 25K, 50K,
and then I added a 10K this year.
That race happens on April 13thand so from now until then it's
all planning and going intothat, with some a little bit of
running for me here and there,but not like my big runs.
So I'll all my planning andefforts go into focusing on that
(24:24):
and then, um, after that racethat I direct on April 13th, the
following week, on April 20th,I'll run the Blue Ridge double
marathon, which is a 52 mile,and the Blue Ridge double it's
in Roanoke and it's classifiedas the toughest road marathon in
the country, and so I'm runningthe double.
(24:44):
So I'm gonna run it twice.
So I have to start at 1am,finish the first marathon, and
then I have to start the secondmarathon when the regular
marathoners are starting, andrun it again, and I will get to
have done it twice, melissa.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
That's crazy.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
Melissa, that's crazy .
Um well, I, I, I was doing itlast year and it got canceled
because of a really badthunderstorm and I was like in
top three at the time and sothat canceled and like that took
away that.
So it's like I have to go backand I have to finish that out.
So that's my plan and then inMay, may 18th, I'll run the Mass
of Nutton 100, which is a 100mile trail marathon that has
(25:28):
18,000 feet of gain, and then inJuly I'll run the 240 again in
Michigan.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
Okay, so people who are listening to you speak about
all this distance and I meanthey're probably thinking why
would you do it twice?
Like so you know in your mind,you obviously you like it, you
like doing this, it's giving yousomething and it's I'm going to
say you know it's challengingfor you and to accomplish that,
(25:58):
like, how do you, when youfinish these races, what are
your thoughts?
When's the next race?
Speaker 1 (26:06):
No, I will.
I'm very honest about like mythoughts during these hard
distances, because every harddistance and I experienced this
last weekend too and I I postedon my like TikTok story and it
was I was at like mile 29 and Iwas tired because it was this
last Sunday I did the triplecrown on the Appalachian Trail
(26:26):
and it's 36 miles, 9,000 feet ofgain and it's hard.
And then the day before I did a20 mile around the New River
Trail.
So I was tired going into this.
And so at mile 29, I made thisvideo and I posted it and I was
like I'm in the pain cave, Iwant it to be done, I want a
cheeseburger, I don't want to bedoing this anymore.
I was just tired.
So during it, like there'salways that point in these
(26:50):
longer distance races, I've I'vealways have that that mentality
at some point, and then I feelbetter and I'm like, oh my gosh,
I'm so glad I did that, thatwas so hard and it so good.
And then I usually am like well, if I can do this hard thing, I
can do anything that I put mymind to.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
So I was going to ask you for the woman who's
listening to this, who'sdoubting herself to do a trail
run or ultra run or any type ofrun.
What would you tell her?
Speaker 1 (27:25):
or any type of run.
What would you tell her?
That you can do it.
You can.
I think anyone can do it.
If they have the rightconsistency, if they have the
right plan, if they have theright discipline and the right
mindset, they can do it and theyjust have to be patient because
it takes time to build thatendurance and it takes time to
build that confidence.
But if you start and you'recommitted to just every day
you're you're moving somewhatcloser to your goal, whether
(27:48):
that's a three mile run or ifit's a rest day or if it's
strength training day.
Every day you're being veryintentional about how it's.
This little tiny step, thisbaby step, is leading you to the
big goal that you want.
That's really scary.
I think that anybody can do ithonestly, because I never
thought I could do this.
If you had asked me when I hadmy son if I was going to run 240
(28:10):
miles, I've been like thatsounds crazy and there's no way
that I could ever be.
I would never have thought Iwould be able to do something
like that.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
That's awesome.
I love that you said that atthe end.
That's awesome.
I love that you said that atthe end.
Yes, absolutely Anybody can doit.
And the consistency and themindset, all of that it has to
be there.
That's the recipe for you tocontinue or start the journey.
But, melissa, I love everythingthat you said.
(28:39):
I love that you talked aboutthe mental health and the
running and the movement and thefact that you've never was a
runner.
And look at you now and it goesto show you, you know, I think
a lot of people think, oh, shemust have ran in college or high
school and you're like no, Ilove that.
I love that.
(29:05):
So anybody who's listening,who's doubting themselves or
thinks that, oh, it's too late,or I wasn't a runner when I was
a kid, it's never too late.
It's never too late to startand you just got to start and
just do it.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
Right, exactly that's how all of us get to the point
is just trying.
Like that's the first step isto say, like I think I want to
do this.
It's really big, it's reallyscary, but I'm going to try.
And then you just put all thepieces together and it happens.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
That's it.
Yeah, Well, thank you, Melissa.
So much for being a part of theshow.
And where can we find you?
I know you're on TikTok.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
Yes, so thank you so much for having me and, yeah,
I'm on TikTok.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
And then are you anywhere else?
You got a website.
What else is going on?
Speaker 1 (29:54):
So I have a website for the race, it's just
newrivertrail50kcom, and it'salso on Instagram and there's a
Facebook group as well.
Same title New River Trail 50K.
We'll put all those links inthe notes.
Yes, then, my private practiceis Body and Mindfully Healthy.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
And you want to get a hold of Melissa, you'll be able
to click on all her links soyou can connect with her.
And again, thank you so much,melissa.
Thank you so much Lisa.
This is awesome.
All right, everyone.
Thank you for spending sometime with myself and Melissa and
until next time, bye.
Welcome to Ella Go.
My name is Lisa.
Join me on the journey inhaving real, raw and
uncomfortable discussions aboutfitness, health and everything
in between, because, let's behonest, this journey would suck
if we don't get our shittogether.
Welcome back to the Elegoopodcast.
(00:38):
My name is Lisa, your host andtoday's guest is Melissa
Laundrie.
Melissa is a licensedprofessional counselor,
certified EMDR therapist andbusiness owner of Body and
Mindfully Healthy, with apassion for aiding individuals
in overcoming trauma, depression, anxiety and addiction.
(00:59):
Her therapeutic approach isperson-centered, focusing on
empowering individuals to directtheir own paths to recovery.
Outside of her professionalrole, melissa has been an avid
runner since 2013, findingsolace and strength in the
outdoors.
She has achieved success inmany races.
(01:22):
Success in many races thatincludes overall female McLennan
Madness 8-hour race.
Second overall female EliseEnduro Last Runner, standing
second overall female PilotMountain Marathon and numerous
other top placements in pastraces ranging from 5Ks to 240
(01:43):
miles.
Melissa's dedication to bothmental health, counseling and
endurance.
Sports reflects her commitmentto personal growth, resilience
and community support.
Through her professionalexpertise and athletic
achievements, she continues toinspire others to pursue their
own paths to wellness andachievement.
(02:07):
Welcome, melissa.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Thank you so much for having me.
Lisa, Melissa, introduceyourself to the audience.
So my name is Melissa.
I wear a lot of hats.
So I'm a mom, I'm a therapist,I'm a runner, I'm a race
director, I'm a coach, I'm atrail sisters leader.
I do a lot of stuff.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Melissa, I didn't know you were a race director.
Wow, your story with running.
Tell us a little bit more aboutthat.
So were you always a runner?
How did that happen?
Speaker 1 (02:39):
I was not always a runner.
In fact, if you had asked me inhigh school or even undergrad
if I was going to be big intorunning, I would have told you
absolutely not.
I would have never thought Iwould run like this.
So I played team sports in highschool.
So volleyball, basketball,soccer, loved that, the
camaraderie, the competition, Ijust absolutely loved it.
(03:02):
And then when I got to gradschool, I played on some co-ed
teams.
I never really tried to go intolike collegiate sports.
I was more focused on myacademics and just didn't think
I was good enough, honestly.
So I played some co-ed sportsand undergrad volleyball and
indoor soccer at Saginaw ValleyState University.
(03:22):
And then, um, then I was like,well, what else am I going to be
able to do?
Like, what else is there?
I don't like going to the gym.
I tried that.
And so I was like, well, maybeI'll just like run a little bit.
And it really was just likefrom my apartment to a stoplight
and back at first.
And then when I moved toVirginia, it was like from my
house to a park and back.
(03:44):
And then I really didn't takeit seriously.
It was consistent until I hadmy first, my first child, my son
and that was in um had him in2012.
And in 2013 is when I startedbeing consistent, like running
races and really amping up mymiles and getting better at it.
But it was like from 2003 or2004 till 2013 before I took it
(04:12):
seriously or even started likingit.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
So let me ask you a question.
So you were a mom at the timethat you're running, mom at the
time that you're running, and Ithink that one of the you know,
one of the challenges as arunning coach is getting the
clients that are moms, makingthe time to do the runs, and
we're going to get into a littlebit more of what types of runs
(04:38):
do you do?
Because this is not just like alittle 5k, but how?
What would you share?
What could you share?
How did you go about doing that?
Because that's the biggestcomplaint I get is I don't have
time, I have kids, I got a job,I'm doing all of this.
How did you go ahead and dothat?
Speaker 1 (05:00):
So when I started running consistently after
having my son, it was reallywith a running group.
So in Galax there's the GalaxRunning Club and so they meet at
530 to 545 to run during theweek and then 7 am on Sundays,
and so I just hopped into thoseruns and they are super
(05:23):
supportive and it was just niceto have that camaraderie again,
like I did with team sports, andthey were really consistent and
they helped me to become reallyconsistent and that's where I
started developing a love for itand developing, getting like
better and aerobically and thenin my muscles too.
So it wasn't terrible everytime.
It was so much, so much betterrunning with a group and so I
(05:45):
think it was a combination of itbeing effective was I could go
in the early morning when thebaby wasn't awake and I was
still asleep.
I could sneak out the house andthen I had other people to meet
me out there, so I wasn't alone.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Waking up in the morning is never who wants to do
that.
But you made that commitmentbecause, I mean, was it were you
at the point where you're like?
It started making you feel goodabout yourself, like what was
your, what were the benefitsthat you were getting, that made
you wake up earlier.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
I think it really was .
That it was just a really goodcoping skill, especially with, I
mean, you're a mom, like youknow, that first year of having
a baby, your first baby, is likea little bit traumatic because
you're like, what just happenedto my body and what just
happened to my emotions and, ohmy gosh, I'm responsible for
(06:40):
another human being and I'm notgetting any sleep and I'm not my
best self physically oremotionally.
And I found like running helpedwith all of those things, thank
goodness Cause I mean it's hardbeing a first time mom.
I don't know if that was yourexperience too, but I struggled.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Oh, yeah, yeah, I did .
I was like what just happened?
My life is over and still is.
So definitely you were gettingthe benefits from the run.
Did you feel like, after youdid the run and it's almost like
a code switch, like you're likeI don't, I'm a runner, and then
(07:19):
you're like home mom time andlike, did you feel that when you
did that, were you feeling moreconfident?
Did you feel like you were,even because we always doubt
ourselves being a better mom?
Did you feel like, okay, I gotthis.
Did you feel that?
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Oh, yeah, definitely, cause I felt like my headspace
was in such a better place thatI could be a better mom because
of running.
Um, especially when they werereally little babies Like that
was.
It was a huge confidence boostas far as my mothering too.
Cause I just needed that hourto myself because you know, when
you have a baby and I breastfed, like they're attached to you
(07:57):
all the time because they needto be, like it's good for them
to be always on us for theirdevelopment, and when you're not
used to that, you go from likeno one touching you all the time
to someone touching you 24seven.
Like I needed that hour of noone touching me.
I was touched out.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
And now she doesn't even want to be with me.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Might still like to cuddle.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
They love hugs, so so let's talk about ultra running,
because that's what I'm gettingto.
You know, um, melissa is notjust doing your typical five Ks.
What's the well explain what anultra run is versus someone
doing a marathon or a halfmarathon?
Speaker 1 (08:40):
So a half marathon is 13.1 miles, a marathon is 26.2
miles, and then an ultramarathon is, by definition,
anything beyond 26.2.
So I ran my first half marathonwhich I didn't think was
possible in 2013, after my son.
I ran my first marathon in 2013, after my son, which I didn't
(09:02):
think was possible, and then Iimmediately got pregnant with my
daughter, and so I had to startover again and in 2014, had my
daughter, and so it was like,well, I was 30 at the time when
I had my daughter and I was like, well, next year it'll be 2015
and I'll be 31.
I need to run a 50 K, so 50 Kis 31.1 miles.
(09:22):
And so that was where itstarted and I ran.
The race that I direct now wasmy first 50K, so it's pretty
special, it's pretty awesome.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
What's the longest distance you ran?
Speaker 1 (09:37):
So last year I ran 240 miles.
Okay, girl, how long does thattake?
It took me four and a half days.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Okay, do you sleep or are you just running through
the whole thing?
Speaker 1 (09:51):
So this one's a little bit unique.
So it's unsupported, uncrewed.
There's no aid stations.
You have to coordinate whenyou're sleeping, your food,
everything.
You're on your own Going fromone point.
I started in Midland Michiganand then I ended in Mackinac
City underneath the MackinacBridge, and so I slept maybe
(10:11):
three hours the first night,three hours the second, three
hours the third, and then thelast night it was maybe an hour
and I was so sleep deprived.
I've never been that sleepdeprived in my entire life.
So in comparison to having kids, it was so much different.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
So where are you like carrying your sleeping bag and
you're just finding a spot tosleep?
Speaker 1 (10:34):
No, there is no sleep .
No, there's no sleeping bag.
I have my regular running packon.
I have, I had a.
So in my pack I had two waterbottles, my bladder full of
water or Gatorade, I had somecaffeine gum, a med kit in case
I ran into like blisters oranything like that.
I could take care of everything.
(10:55):
Extra contacts so I could seeextra underwear, extra socks,
and then, oh gosh, what else wasin there.
And then my food and emergencyponcho and emergency blanket,
and that was all I carried.
And so I did find motels tosleep in for those three-hour
(11:16):
stints, but the last night Islept in a parking lot with my
emergency blanket and myemergency poncho.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Okay, melissa, all right, I always wanted to know
more about this From a safetystandpoint.
You're by yourself, how doesthat?
Speaker 1 (11:32):
work safety standpoint, like you're by
yourself.
How does that work?
I mean, I would just find likeplaces off of the road and that
like.
So I slept in a marina andthere wasn't really anybody at
the marina because off the lake,here on, and so it was like
really early in the morning,there really wasn't anybody out
there.
So it's like, you know, there'snobody here.
And that little, that burritodid have cameras on the, like
(11:53):
the, the.
It was like owned by the state,so there was cameras on the
building.
So I slept where this cameracould see me because it was like
, well, if something happens, atleast it's going to get caught
on film and I don't thinkanything's going to happen.
Because this, this arena waslike off the main road, behind
some trees, like it.
You really didn't have to know,and it was a really secluded
(12:13):
area because there was no hotels, there's no places else to
sleep, so so I scouted a place,but yeah, I had to be very um
particular about like where Iwas going to be, and I really
didn't.
No one really could tell that Iwas female either, because I
mean, I had a hat on, like I wascovered by the emergency
blanket, I had a poncho, likeall my stuff is black, like I'm
not wearing pink or anything.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Um, what about like the tracking, Like how this is
like a race, Is this a?
So how do they track you?
Speaker 1 (12:42):
You have to do check-ins at every 12 hour point
, and so I would check in withthe race director's wife um
every 12 hours.
We're her little, her littlegooselings, and she's mama goose
to check on everybody, wow,okay.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
So let's talk about how you even got into this,
because, okay, so you, you, yousaid you did the half a marathon
.
You did.
I mean, in your mind were youjust like I'm going to give it a
try where you're?
I mean, it sounded like itdidn't even deter you, it was
more like I didn't think I coulddo it.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
And so I'm just like, well, let me just try.
And then I put in the training.
And then I did it.
And then, for example, with thehalf marathon, I was like, well
, I'm halfway to a marathon, Imight as well go and sign up for
the marathon.
And so then I did that.
And then I knew I could do amarathon.
So it's like well, coming backfrom the second pregnancy, I was
(13:36):
like, well, I know I alreadycan do a marathon.
If I put in the training, I'mphysically capable of doing it.
So the five extra miles for a50, 50 K, like it's just five
miles, I can walk it, so let mejust do that.
And so I did and I had a greattime, like I was.
I thought that was like themost pain I'd ever be in.
I was wrong.
A 240 is much more painful, butit's, it's such a, it's a
(14:00):
growth process.
But then, after I did that, youknow I was like well, I'll take
some breaks from ultra, I don'tknow if I'm going to keep doing
this.
So I did like 5Ks, 10 Ks, halfmarathons, marathons in between,
and then COVID hit in 2020.
And so that's when I was likethere's nothing else to do,
especially where I live, butthere's tons of outdoor
(14:21):
activities.
And so I signed up for a lot ofvirtual races.
So I did my first 50 milervirtual, I did my first 100 mile
virtual here on the New RiverTrail, and that was all in 2020.
And so that's when I figured,well, I can do it and I can do
it virtually, I need to do thesein person.
(14:43):
So I signed up for more becauseI was like, well, let me keep
doing this.
This is fun, and I've beendoing more ultra since 2020.
Me keep doing this.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
This is fun, and I've been doing more ultra since
2020.
Talk about someone who's neverdone an ultra, and maybe they're
even thinking about it.
How does one prepare physically, mentally and emotionally?
Speaker 1 (15:07):
I think it's really a great idea to just be
consistent.
First you want to build areally good base, follow a
marathon plan to begin with andthen, if you're just if you're
striving for a 50 K, a marathonplan is all you really need to
do.
A 50 K If you want to, if youwant to finish stronger, you can
(15:27):
do.
Instead of like the longestdistance being like 20 or 22
miles, you can make your longestdistance to be the marathon
point Cause.
Then you know, like the extrafive miles you can pull that out
on race day.
If you're looking, I think it'ssmart to go and like step up,
like start with a 50 K, thenmove to a 50 miler, then maybe a
hundred K, which is 66 miles,and then a hundred miler, which
(15:47):
is 66 miles, and then a hundredmiler and then moving to the 200
distance.
But because that's I think thatis the smartest way to do it to
reduce the shock and injury.
Some people skip points andthat's okay.
It works for some people.
But I think it is best to liketake it step-by-step because as
(16:08):
you're growing, like once you dothat 50 K, it's easy then to
build, keep continuing to buildyour miles from that 50 K after
you finish that race.
So then your next race distancewould be a 50 miler, so you can
keep adding, like more, longerruns in between your 50 K and
your 50 miler.
And so then when you get toyour 50 miler, you're only
(16:29):
halfway to 100 miler and theycan build your confidence.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
She says it like it's so simple to do so.
Oh my God.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
I mean, it's just, it really is.
There's so much magic inconsistency.
So if you are consistent andyou're consistent with your long
runs and you're consistent withbeing like, you're going to
have runs where and I still haveruns where I'm like I
completely bonked, Like I feltterrible, Everything went wrong.
And I need those runs becausethat's where you build that
(17:02):
mental endurance to be like,well, it's either walk or crawl,
but I got to get back to my carbecause I'm not calling anybody
to come get me.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
Exactly so you mentioned like the pain, and I'm
curious, when you're thinkingabout, you know, running those
types of miles, what is some ofthat pain?
I mean, is it mental pain,emotional, what is it?
Speaker 1 (17:28):
It's both, yeah, it's a lot of both.
I think that in the beginning,like your, your just body isn't
used to going that far and so Iknow for me the hardest
distances when I was startingout was actually like going from
like eight to 10 miles, likejust that in my long runs,
because I just had like a mentalblock and a physical block, I
(17:51):
think, until I've pushed myselfto go past that, to kind of hit
like a wall at certain pointswith a hundred miler, like
hitting the wall at mile 80 isreally common for any anybody in
the race, no matter how muchtraining you've done, because at
that point you're like you'vedone so much but you still have
(18:11):
20 miles to go and it can feeldaunting physically and
emotionally.
And I think for any likeemotionally, like that wise, for
any distance, it's really easyfor those thoughts to creep in
from, maybe like people who'vebeen mean to us in the past
Cause I think everybody's beenbullied and had rude comments
made to them or told that theycan't do something I think it's
(18:33):
really common for those commentsfrom the past to pop up again
and say that you can't do this,that you just should quit,
you're not strong enough.
Why are you doing this?
You shouldn't be running thismuch.
Oh, especially this one.
Like what?
Like the mom guilt.
Like some people will say, well, shouldn't you be spending this
(18:53):
time with your children insteadof running?
And it's like, oh, that thoughtcreeps in.
And then you feel terrible andit's like, but then you can say,
like, but I spent all thisother time with them.
Like, look at the time thatI've already invested.
I'm taking, you know, threehours of one day a week to do
this.
When I have the, I can still goafter this.
And we're going to go to thezoo, we're going to go do this,
(19:15):
we're going to go do that.
Like the mom guilt can be realwhen running and taking time
away from family.
The mom guilt can be real whenrunning and taking time away
from family.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Yeah.
Yeah that's hard, it really is,and it's a balance.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
I think it's just a balance.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
So I was going to ask you about that, because you're
a race director, you're arunning coach, you work a
full-time job and then you haveyour kids.
How do you balance that?
How does that happen?
Speaker 1 (19:43):
I make my schedule like two weeks in advance and I
live by my schedule.
Really, I have to.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
I like that.
I like that Because I alwaysthink about the listeners
listening to us talk about thisand we always say, well, you got
to balance.
But what does that look like?
So you're saying you actuallymake a schedule two weeks ahead,
and I'm guessing it's probablyvery structured and very
(20:11):
detailed.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
Yes, yes, like I know when I'm running, I know what
I'm doing with the kids, I knowwhen I'm cleaning the house, I
know when I'm like making mymeals, like it takes a lot of
discipline to know when I'm atwork.
Like it takes discipline and Ihave, like my cat, I have a
calendar put up right now.
But, like in my calendar, likeI have a running to-do list, I
(20:33):
make sure I have it for themonth, for the week, for the day
.
And then I have, like, myschedule, um, I have
motivational quotes in there, Ihave scripture in there, like I
put everything in there.
So that way it's all rightthere for me to stay focused and
disciplined.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
Okay, I want to.
I really want everyone tolisten to that, because that's
really what helps you and it'sfunny when you do.
I mean, it's not really funny,but when you do that and you're
you're on the schedule, I oftenfeel like, wow, I got a lot of
time.
I mean, I have time for myself,I have time for self-care.
(21:08):
I think that when you do that,you are able to balance and make
some time for yourself, whichis obviously the running and
other things and spending timewith your kids.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Yes, well, and it also is very beneficial, like I
work for myself completely andso I make my own schedule and I
don't I I don't have to make itaround anybody else, or a boss,
or anything like that.
So, you know, the weeks that Ihave my kids I can do my running
when they're at school, so I'mnot taking anything away from
them, and then I can do myappointments for work around
(21:47):
that.
I will admit like I often donot take lunch, so I do skim on
that, but I substitute it with arun so I kind of justify it
with well I might not have alunch, but I'm running, well I
might not have a lunch but I'mrunning.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
Let me ask you this so you are a mental health
therapist, right?
Speaker 1 (22:10):
Okay, yes, how does that, being a runner, how do
those two coincide?
I think there's so much overlapbecause the type of therapist
that I am, I'm a certified EMDRtherapist.
So EMDR stands for eye movement, desensitization and
reprocessing, and it's all aboutusing bilateral body movements
(22:30):
or body stimulation in order tostart the adaptive processing
network that we have in thebrain that helps with healing
and, like our best selves, andso it's, I feel, like the two
just naturally go together,because the therapy that I'm
using in the running I reallythink, like my hypothesis is
(22:52):
that part of the benefits ofrunning, aside from the
neurochemicals that are releasedfor any exercise with running,
there is a self-administeredEMDR happening because when
you're running, you'restimulating one side of your
body when your foot hits theground and then when the other
foot hits the ground you'restimulating the other one, and
(23:12):
so while you're doing it you dofeel better.
Usually, if you're upset aboutsomething and you go for a run,
you're in a much more calm andregulated state in your nervous
system after your run and a lotof times you're going to come up
with a really good problemsolving strategies and how you
want to respond to the situationthat might be upsetting.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Yeah, absolutely, that is so cool.
I didn't know you did that andI think that's just such a cool
thing.
And yeah, you're healingthrough movement, you know, and
running is definitely somethingthat can be healing through
movement.
I love that you're doing that.
So what's on the horizon foryou, like, do you have any races
(23:52):
coming up?
Do you have any programs comingup?
What's going to happen for youthis summer 2024?
Speaker 1 (24:00):
I have races so I'm really focusing on.
So my the race that I direct,the New River Trail 25K, 50K,
and then I added a 10K this year.
That race happens on April 13thand so from now until then it's
all planning and going intothat, with some a little bit of
running for me here and there,but not like my big runs.
So I'll all my planning andefforts go into focusing on that
(24:24):
and then, um, after that racethat I direct on April 13th, the
following week, on April 20th,I'll run the Blue Ridge double
marathon, which is a 52 mile,and the Blue Ridge double it's
in Roanoke and it's classifiedas the toughest road marathon in
the country, and so I'm runningthe double.
(24:44):
So I'm gonna run it twice.
So I have to start at 1am,finish the first marathon, and
then I have to start the secondmarathon when the regular
marathoners are starting, andrun it again, and I will get to
have done it twice, melissa.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
That's crazy.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
Melissa, that's crazy .
Um well, I, I, I was doing itlast year and it got canceled
because of a really badthunderstorm and I was like in
top three at the time and sothat canceled and like that took
away that.
So it's like I have to go backand I have to finish that out.
So that's my plan and then inMay, may 18th, I'll run the Mass
of Nutton 100, which is a 100mile trail marathon that has
(25:28):
18,000 feet of gain, and then inJuly I'll run the 240 again in
Michigan.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
Okay, so people who are listening to you speak about
all this distance and I meanthey're probably thinking why
would you do it twice?
Like so you know in your mind,you obviously you like it, you
like doing this, it's giving yousomething and it's I'm going to
say you know it's challengingfor you and to accomplish that,
(25:58):
like, how do you, when youfinish these races, what are
your thoughts?
When's the next race?
Speaker 1 (26:06):
No, I will.
I'm very honest about like mythoughts during these hard
distances, because every harddistance and I experienced this
last weekend too and I I postedon my like TikTok story and it
was I was at like mile 29 and Iwas tired because it was this
last Sunday I did the triplecrown on the Appalachian Trail
(26:26):
and it's 36 miles, 9,000 feet ofgain and it's hard.
And then the day before I did a20 mile around the New River
Trail.
So I was tired going into this.
And so at mile 29, I made thisvideo and I posted it and I was
like I'm in the pain cave, Iwant it to be done, I want a
cheeseburger, I don't want to bedoing this anymore.
I was just tired.
So during it, like there'salways that point in these
(26:50):
longer distance races, I've I'vealways have that that mentality
at some point, and then I feelbetter and I'm like, oh my gosh,
I'm so glad I did that, thatwas so hard and it so good.
And then I usually am like well, if I can do this hard thing, I
can do anything that I put mymind to.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
So I was going to ask you for the woman who's
listening to this, who'sdoubting herself to do a trail
run or ultra run or any type ofrun.
What would you tell her?
Speaker 1 (27:25):
or any type of run.
What would you tell her?
That you can do it.
You can.
I think anyone can do it.
If they have the rightconsistency, if they have the
right plan, if they have theright discipline and the right
mindset, they can do it and theyjust have to be patient because
it takes time to build thatendurance and it takes time to
build that confidence.
But if you start and you'recommitted to just every day
you're you're moving somewhatcloser to your goal, whether
(27:48):
that's a three mile run or ifit's a rest day or if it's
strength training day.
Every day you're being veryintentional about how it's.
This little tiny step, thisbaby step, is leading you to the
big goal that you want.
That's really scary.
I think that anybody can do ithonestly, because I never
thought I could do this.
If you had asked me when I hadmy son if I was going to run 240
(28:10):
miles, I've been like thatsounds crazy and there's no way
that I could ever be.
I would never have thought Iwould be able to do something
like that.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
That's awesome.
I love that you said that atthe end.
That's awesome.
I love that you said that atthe end.
Yes, absolutely Anybody can doit.
And the consistency and themindset, all of that it has to
be there.
That's the recipe for you tocontinue or start the journey.
But, melissa, I love everythingthat you said.
(28:39):
I love that you talked aboutthe mental health and the
running and the movement and thefact that you've never was a
runner.
And look at you now and it goesto show you, you know, I think
a lot of people think, oh, shemust have ran in college or high
school and you're like no, Ilove that.
I love that.
(29:05):
So anybody who's listening,who's doubting themselves or
thinks that, oh, it's too late,or I wasn't a runner when I was
a kid, it's never too late.
It's never too late to startand you just got to start and
just do it.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
Right, exactly that's how all of us get to the point
is just trying.
Like that's the first step isto say, like I think I want to
do this.
It's really big, it's reallyscary, but I'm going to try.
And then you just put all thepieces together and it happens.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
That's it.
Yeah, Well, thank you, Melissa.
So much for being a part of theshow.
And where can we find you?
I know you're on TikTok.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
Yes, so thank you so much for having me and, yeah,
I'm on TikTok.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
And then are you anywhere else?
You got a website.
What else is going on?
Speaker 1 (29:54):
So I have a website for the race, it's just
newrivertrail50kcom, and it'salso on Instagram and there's a
Facebook group as well.
Same title New River Trail 50K.
We'll put all those links inthe notes.
Yes, then, my private practiceis Body and Mindfully Healthy.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
And you want to get a hold of Melissa, you'll be able
to click on all her links soyou can connect with her.
And again, thank you so much,melissa.
Thank you so much Lisa.
This is awesome.
All right, everyone.
Thank you for spending sometime with myself and Melissa and
until next time, bye.
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